IT Trends That Will Keep Your Business on Top

Despite the fact that times are constantly changing, there are still some business owners who are determined to keep their old way of doing things, simply because it’s what they’ve become accustomed to. However, it is hard to deny that recent advances in technology

have been boosting businesses in various industries. In order to climb to the top and stay there, you need to be updated on current trends and make sure your company isn’t left behind in the dust.

Shifting from Spinning Disks to SSD

You might be used to the whirring noise your CPU would make once your computer would try to load a particularly heavy program. You’d associate it with the accompanying slowdown of every other process on your system. It’s made even worse when you’ve just pressed the button to boot up the system, only to wait ten whole minutes for the whole thing to start. Luckily, that may soon be a thing of the past, depending on how technology develops in the next few years.

While they may not be completely replacing hard drives in the near future, SSDs or Solid State Drives have been known to outperform spinning disks. SSDs have also recently made advances such as helium drivers and shingled magnetic recording. They also make systems run much faster, and as we all know, speed determines winners in enterprise. Flash-based storage makes data delivery much faster, and in almost any industry, delivering your product or service faster is always a plus. According to InfoWorld.com, more and more data centers are switching to all-flash arrays and SSD servers for speed, performance, and even power conservation. Your company probably should make the shift sometime in the near future, too, if you want to be a step ahead of the competition.

Video Conferencing

Bringing your meetings to an virtual environment brings a lot of benefits, including saving time and money that would have otherwise been spent on travel. Collaborations done through meetings online for IT are also made easier and more efficient, particularly by websites such as Blue Jeans. Web conference services allow files to be shared in real time, making sure everyone in the meeting is on the same page. Screen sharing is also a widely used service, making teaching and training a breeze, even in situations where people can’t be in the same place. Another advantage to these kinds of systems is the fact that you will be able to work pretty much anywhere. Advances in mobile technology now let us be part of meetings almost anywhere and at anytime, allowing work to get done faster. Don’t forget the fact that you can now work with different people from all across the globe, which could actually provide your company with useful business insights from other cultures that you may otherwise not be able to tap into.

The “Freemium” Sales Model

Though some may frown upon the fact that most free apps now limit how long you can use them, or how many features are available to you at no additional cost, it is hard to ignore the fact that it is a great way to help companies grow their business. When faced with competitors, a “land and expand” approach helps you stay ahead of the curve. TechCrunch.com

says that this system works for both the consumers and service providers. Free trials and freemium pricing lets customers experience your products and services before having to shell out too much money. Such offers work well when it comes to enticing customers, both new ones who have never seen your offerings before, and old ones looking for an upgrade. This way, companies can reach more people, and then focus on validated customers and build stronger relationships with them.

Security

There have been major security breaches in a variety of industries, and the number of cyber-attacks only seems to be growing. Information thieves do not single out any one industry, though some of the fields more prone to these attacks include insurance, healthcare, and finance. That is why it is becoming more and more important to shift to solutions that allow you to conduct all your professional needs without compromising the security of your sensitive data. After all, if you were to hold a confidential meeting and keep a recording of it in the cloud-based archives, only for a hacker to grab a hold of it, your company could be in hot water. Not only should you invest in the most secure of systems, but you should also educate your employees on how to keep your data safe. This is especially true given the rise of the “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) movement. One wrong move, and a hacker could steal your identity and start cracking the rest of your personal accounts, not to mention any business accounts you may have linked your phone or tablet to.